A Sunshine Coast locality has the highest level of long-term home ownership in Queensland, with an average holding period approaching two decades.
Battery Hill, a residential suburb in Caloundra, topped a realestate.com.au list of places that people don’t want to leave.
Houses there had the longest average holding time of 19.3 years while, at the opposite end of the scale, homes at Bells Creek on the southern Sunshine Coast had the shortest average holding time at just 2 years.
Analyst Luc Redman outlined why Battery Hill was so tightly held.
“There is no single reason, but it has a higher proportion of older households, with a median age of 43 at the census, compared to Queensland’s 38 and Australia’s 38, indicating a higher likelihood that people have been there longer,” he said.
“In the suburb, households with younger family members tend to have a higher proportion of people attending educational institutions, thereby reducing the extent to which people move.”
The median house price for Battery Hill is $1.217 million, compared to the state median of $960,000. The median unit rental price there is $760 per week, compared to a statewide $650 per week.
Initially known as Ballingers Hill, the area was called Battery Hill because of its role during World War II in the 1940s, when Australian soldiers took part in artillery training and established defensive and firing positions.
A Ray White suburb profile stated that Battery Hill is a “tranquil coastal gem” that is “renowned for its welcoming beach village atmosphere”.
Parts of it are only 300m from the beach, and it is only a short drive to shopping, dining and essential services.
Mr Redman also provided some details about Bells Creek, which currently includes part of the expanding master-planned community of Aura.
“It is a relatively new development area that, for a number of reasons, may have led to property turnover,” he said.
“Because of the recent establishment of dwellings and subdivisions in that area, the holding period has shortened. This usually has nothing to do with the area’s amenities.”
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Mr Redman said housing trends on the Sunshine Coast varied.
“It is rare that a single broad area has a higher holding period: it is more about pocket suburbs within regions,” he said.
“The Sunshine Coast has historically attracted residents for lifestyle reasons, be that amenities or economic opportunities.
“As a result, there are pockets where property turnover can be lower, where established households may have moved to and settled some time ago and only as more have transitioned to other forms of living have we seen the longer holding time.”
Witta, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, is also among the top 10 suburbs in Queensland with the longest average holding time for houses (12 months to May). It was fifth at more than 17 years. Caloundra was ninth for units at almost 13 years.
Auction results
80 Palmer Avenue, Golden Beach
- Passed in at $1.43m, contact agent
- 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Ray Daniels
904/75 Landsborough Parade, Golden Beach
- Sold under the hammer $1.53m
- 2 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Ray Daniels
40 Pozieres Crescent, Aroona
- Sold under the hammer for $895,000
- 3 bed, 1 bath, 1 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Dan McNamara
17 Maui Court, Parrearra
- Passed in a $2.5m, contact agent
- 4 bed, 3 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Dan McNamara
24 Ikara Street, Battery Hill
- Passed in at $975,000, contact agent
- 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Marcus Lane
4 Buccleugh Street, Moffat Beach
- Passed in at $1.1m
- 2 bed, 1 bath
- Ray White Caloundra, Marcus Lane
7/34 Queen Street, Kings Beach
- Sold prior to auction for $1.2m
- 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Caloundra, Natascha Drexel-Munro/Carola Drexel
9 Stone Cresent, Baringa
- Passed in at $880,000, contact agent
- 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Maroochydore, Leon Russell/Brittany May
22 Horseshoe Bend, Buderim
- Sold under the hammer for $925,000
- 2 bed, 1 bath, 1 car
- Ray White Buderim, Jake Loiero/Chantel Dielwart
801/8 Duporth Avenue, Maroochydore
- Sold under the hammer for $2,820,000
- 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Maroochydore, Niall Molloy/Lottie Gunter
20/85 Picnic Point Esplanade, Maroochydore
- Sold prior for $2,260,000
- 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Maroochydore, Niall Molloy/Angus Low
2/4 Cadenza Way, Palmview
- Sold under the hammer for $830,000
- 3 Bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Maroochydore
1/307 Bradman Avenue, Maroochydore
- Passed in at $840,000, contact agent
- 2 bed, 2 bath, 2 car
- Ray White Maroochydore, Jason Mills
